Two of the Area's Most Experienced Heart Surgeons Practice at The Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital

Bridgeport Hospital is a regional referral center for heart surgery. What does this mean? It means that other hospitals send their patients to the Heart Institute for open-heart surgery. Area hospitals know their patients will receive the best, most advanced care from our highly-regarded cardiothoracic surgeons.

Internationally recognized New Zealander M. Clive Robinson is chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital. Dr. Robinson is a pioneer of minimally invasive bypass surgery (using small incisions) and was the first surgeon in the medical literature to describe the technique in detail and report on his first 6 cases. He is also an expert in off-pump technique (coronary bypass surgery without the use of the heart-lung machine that normally substitutes for the heart during surgery). He has a wide experience in all forms of cardiac valve surgery, traditional bypass surgery, surgery for abnormal heart rhythms, and complex combined procedures.

Dr. Juan A. Sanchez joined the attending medical staff of Bridgeport Hospital in 2001. As well as traditional open-heart surgery, he has extensive experience in all forms of mitral valve repair and reconstruction. He is an expert in the implantation of mechanical devices to improve the function of the failing heart and has performed numerous heart and lung transplants. As well as his medical degree, Dr. Sanchez has a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.